MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
New Directions
by Martha Bradshaw PhD, RN Interim Dean
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What an exciting time to be a part of Baylor! Our new president, Ken Starr, brings enthusiasm and vision to every aspect of the university. As a genuine servant leader, he seeks to build a community within the Baylor family. Both the president and Alice Starr are strong supporters of the school of nursing, and we are grateful for their recognition of our accomplishments and our needs. Within the school, the attitude of positive energy is very prevalent. In May, we graduated one of our Dr. Bradshaw visits with LHSON undergraduate largest BSN classes: 61 traditional student Britani Alsobrook. students and 26 from the FastBacc we graduated our first DNP student with a track. Due to this wonderful increase in our student body, we outgrew East Dallas family nurse practitioner major. Christian Church, our long-standing facility Our faculty have become more engaged in for the pinning ceremony. Fortunately, Wilshire scholarship, whether through research, some Baptist church graciously allowed us to use its of which is in collaboration with Baylor lovely new sanctuary for the undergraduate and Health Care System, program grants to graduate ceremonies. benefit communities both in Dallas and in It was a year ago that we graduated the Waco, or publications and presentations that nation’s first students with a doctorate in are research-based or focused on education or nursing practice, nurse-midwifery specialization. technology processes. And now the midwifery class size has tripled! All of the faculty and staff have been creative We accomplished another first this year, in that and flexible in working together to meet our educational mission in light of our continuing increase in student numbers. You know that our state and our nation need more nurses to meet the growing healthcare needs in this country, and I am delighted that we are able to graduate an increasing number of Baylor nurses. Let me invite you to consider helping these students by participating in the President’s Scholarship Initiative so that anyone who wants to join this noble profession has an opportunity to do so. spring/summer 2011